Water 24x7 from 2021: Belagavi shows the way

Belagavi: Water scarcity in Belagavi city which has made the lives of residents here miserable for decades, will soon be a thing of the past.

After successful implementation of a World-Bank sponsored 24/7 project in select areas of the city, the government is gearing up to implement the project in the whole of Belagavi city. According to World Bank officials, all areas of Belagavi city will be getting drinking water round-the-clock from 2021. An estimated Rs 663 crores will be spent on the project that will get underway next year.

After finding it tough to supply water from Rakkaskoppa reservoir, which was the only water source for the city for many decades, the government launched the WB-sponsored project (pilot phase) in the city a decade ago and succeeded in tapping excess water needed for the city from Hidkal dam. As expected, the pilot phase implemented in only 10 wards of the city, was a huge success encouraging the government to extend the project to the entire city. An excess of 1.70 tmc water needed for the upcoming project will be drawn from Hidkal dam.

Funds amounting to Rs 236 crore, a major chunk of the project cost, will be borne by World Bank and will be released to the state at a lesser rate of interest while the state and Centre will share Rs 308 crore and the City Corporation will contribute Rs 120 crore, according to sources.

Rajesh Balasubramanya, a senior official from World Bank's Water and Sanitation Division, said the companies taking up the works through tenders, will have to complete the entire project within four years and take the responsibility of managing the project for a period of eight years after implementation.

According to Balasubramanya, the project will be implemented in association with the government and the City Corporation. Mayor Kiran Sainak said the corporation has done preliminary work for the WB project next year and is awaiting final approval from the government.